Whitecaps' Camilo hottest producer in MLS

Gary Kingston, Vancouver Sun06.25.2013

Vancouver Whitecap Camilo Sanvezzo (centre) celebrates his goal with teammates Kenny Miller (right) and Russell Teibert against Chivas USA during the first half of their MLS game at BC Place Stadium last week.

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VANCOUVER - Camilo led the Vancouver Whitecaps in goals in 2011 (12) and assists in 2012 (seven), so it was clear the little Brazilian forward was capable of being a multi-faceted MLS player.

He can dribble with the grace of a salsa dancer. And he has a lethal right foot, particularly on free kicks. But too often, he played with the wrong kind of single-minded purpose, thinking mostly about putting himself in the best position possible.

It was a style frequently at odds with a team concept, never more so than when he would simply put his head down and try to dribble through two or three opponents.

He was still a young player, though, at just 24. And Caps head coach Martin Rennie felt it wasn’t too late to turn the individualist into more of a well-rounded player capable of creating for others while staying dangerous himself.

Getting that message across was part of the reason why Camilo began the 2013 season on the bench as Rennie gave the likes of rookie first-round draft picks Kekuta Manneh and Erik Hurtado and Japanese League import Daigo Kobayashi early opportunities as attacking players.

“Nobody likes sitting on the bench and if they have to change certain things to get on the field, then they will,” Rennie said after practice on Tuesday.

Now, it seems only injury can knock Camilo out of the starting lineup. With five goals and two assists in his last three games, the compact striker is the hottest goal-producer in MLS.

“I think when we have the coach here for two years now, maybe like we know what he wants and we know what we have to do,” said Camilo. “It makes it much easier and my third year now in MLS and I’m going to be 25 years old and I have a little bit experience and I hope it continues like that.”

Rennie, who also suggested that Camilo’s fitness wasn’t quite where it needed to be early on, said the five-foot-seven dynamo’s movement without the ball has improved considerably. And the Brazilian is clearly developing some terrific chemistry with fellow front-runner Kenny Miller, a veteran Scottish international, and young Canadian winger Russell Teibert.

“Before, it was always about him getting (the ball), standing up against someone and shooting,” says Rennie. “But now, it’s much more about movement to get on the ball, which makes him much more dangerous.

“And then now, when he’s defending, he’s not defending all the way back so far that he can’t get forward. He’s choosing the right places and ways to defend. He’s developing and you’ve got to remember that he is a young player. Hopefully, he can keep improving.”

Camilo was an unused substitute in the season-opening win over Toronto and averaged just 33 minutes a game over the Caps first seven matches with a just a pair of starts.

“When I didn’t play, it was very hard. I do my very best on the field, I train very hard. The coach, he give me confidence. He say to keep train hard, your opportunity is going to come and when it comes you have to be ready.”

He got his chance when Darren Mattocks slumped and Miller missed time with a hamstring injury.

Camilo now has started eight straight MLS games and has 11 goals in his last 12 games overall, including four Amway Canadian championship matches.

His eight MLS goals put him fourth in the goal scoring table, two off the league lead shared by Mike Magee of Chicago, Marco Di Vaio of Montreal and Jack McInerney of Philadelphia.

Of the 33 players with four or more goals this season, only Olmes Garcia of Real Salt Lake has a better goals-per-90-minutes percentage -- .85 to Camilo’s .80. And of the six players with at least seven goals, only Camilo, with three assists, has more than one helper. Di Vaio and McInerney have yet to register an assist.

Camilo was named MLS player of the week for his two-goal, one-assist performance Wednesday night in a 3-1 win over Chivas USA. But it could have been even better. A header from six yards out in the first half went just wide of the post, while Chivas defender Mario de Luna blocked a late chance at a third goal on an chance from in close.

Camilo is on a torrid pace, but says he’s not thinking about climbing the goal-scoring ladder.

“Just continue to play well, start as much games as I can. Be safe, be healthy and when opportunity comes, try to do my best to get three points for our team.

“I have so much confidence in our team. This year, we are more together than last year.”

The fact Camilo is more focused on a team game has certainly helped that process.

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Whitecaps' Camilo hottest producer in MLS

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